1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to garage doors, and more particularly, to sectional garage doors rolling along a fixed track and having a pivoting screen panel at the bottom of the door.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Garage doors are generally of two types, a single, relatively inflexible panel which pivots by means of an arc of about ninety degrees from the vertical, closed position, to a generally horizontal, overhead, open position. The second type of garage door is a sectional door which includes a plurality of articulated panels or sections with rollers on on the outer (side) ends disposed in a track. The sections are secured together by hinged connections which allows them to move on the track from the down position to the up position.
Both types of garage doors are generally solid, although they may include glass panels for viewing through the door. Typically, the doors are made of either metal or wood.
During summer months, particularly, it is highly desirable to allow for the circulation of air through a garage. To accomplish this, the garage door is generally open to its full extent, or partly open, as desired. When a door is open to virtually any extent which is sufficient to allow for the circulation of air, undesirable elements such as animals, leaves, etc. or even humans, such as children or persons with ulterior motives, may also enter into the garage.
To provide for the circulation of air, several alternatives have been suggested. These alternatives relate primarily to providing screens for sectional doors which move on tracks, as opposed to the solid panel, pivoting type door structure. Of the sectional type doors which have directed themselves to the provision of some type of screen apparatus, several have been patented.
One example of a screen apparatus is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,896. This patent discloses a dual, parallel track system for a sectional garage door utilizing a pair of garage doors. One track is for the ordinary, "solid" sectional garage door without screens. The other track is for the screen door. Either one of the doors may be used, but they may not be used together. That is, either the screen door is down, in place, or the "solid" door is in place. The screen door may not be used half way, with the "solid" garage door occupying the other half, or any portion of the "down" position.
Another example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,967. The '967 patent discloses a dual door system in which a screen door is separately usable from an ordinary, "solid" panel sectional garage door. The two doors may be used at the same time by using a dual system of tracks which are completely independent of each other, and not tied together, as with the apparatus of the '896 patent. With the screen door in place, the "solid" panel garage door may be positioned as desired for air circulation purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,944 discloses another type of dual door system, with a fixed frame screen door disposed in front of an ordinary, or "solid" sectional door which moves on a track system. The screen door is of a solid frame construction and accordingly pivots between its full down position and its full up position. With the screen door in the down position, the sectional door may be moved as desired with respect to its vertical height.
Alternatives to the double screen door system discussed in the above three patents are found in three other patents which utilize some type of screen panel. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,178,776, a garage door includes sliding panels which may be selectively changed to comprise window panels, screen panels, or solid panels, as desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,709 discloses a garage door having a plurality of hinged window panels covering screened openings. The windows may be opened from the inside of the garage by pivoting the window panels on their hinges to present the screened openings for air flow purposes. The window panels must be closed before the garage door can be opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,403 discloses a plurality of window panels also covering screened openings. The window panels are hinged on the outside of the screen door and on the top of the panels, differently from the inside hinged panels of the '709 patent. In the '403 patent, the windows automatically close when the door is raised to its overhead position, and accordingly do not need to be manually closed, as is required in the '709 apparatus.
It may be understood that the double track system utilizing two separate doors is relatively expensive and also relatively cumbersome to operate. The hinged or screened panel system is also relatively expensive and is somewhat limited with respect to the amount of air circulation allowable. The deficiencies of the prior art are overcome with the apparatus of the present invention, which comprises a separate panel, screened, and which may be selectively utilized at the bottom of an ordinary, sectional garage door.